Gull nest clearance underway.

Free roof treatments to remove gull nests have now started in areas of Bath where evidence shows there are large or increasing numbers of breeding pairs.

This is one of many measures being taken by Bath & North East Somerset Council as part of the three-pronged approach in its Gull Strategy.

Bath & North East Somerset Council has contracted NBC Bird and Pest Solutions to carry out this work in Abbey, Kingsmead, Newbridge, Twerton, Westmoreland and Widcombe wards of Bath. The former Welton Bibby site in Midsomer Norton will also be targeted.

Staff at Bath Leisure Centre get a chance to see Caesar in flight.

Councillor Martin Veal (Conservative, Bathavon North), Cabinet Member for Community Services joined bird handlers from NBC and a couple of hawks to explain how well the programme was going and how many assessments of gull nests they had done.

Tourists and residents are also asked not to deliberately feed the gulls either.

Ian Cain, Technical Director from NBC Bird and Pest Solutions, said: “Our team will be out and about in these areas during April and May, using mobile access equipment to access the nest sites on as many properties as possible. They will also use their birds of prey as an additional way of deterring gulls from nesting in these areas, as they are unlikely to nest where they see these predators.”

Here’s a bird of prey who likes an audience

As part of the project, the Council is also working with University of the West of England and Middlesex University to carry out research into gull behaviour.

Council officers are working with behavioural ecology and psychology students at the universities to map and track the behaviour of the gulls as they interact with their food sources and nesting sites.

Altogether around £85,000 is being spent on this urban gull action plan.

If you live in one of the areas identified you can call NBC Bird and Pest Solutions directly on 03303 530060 to find out more about the roof treatments and arrange a visit.